Covid-19 ICU Beds Running Out

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By Sue-Ann Wayow

THE demand for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds to treat Covid-19 patients is now more than supply.

And 96% patients in the ICU are not fully vaccinated and 94% in the parallel healthcare system are unvaccinated.

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On Monday, Principal Medical Officer Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards speaking at the Ministry of Health’s virtual media conference  described the situation as “worrying” and made a an appeal again to the nation to become vaccinated.

She said, “We have noted that the demand for ICU beds, continue to demonstrate an increasing trend over the past month…This morning, I come to you with great concern as I can confirm that the ICU demand within our country has now outstripped or is equal to the supply of beds… Almost all our beds are filled.”

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She also gave the breakdown of ICU patients at the various health facilities in Trinidad and their vaccination status:

  • At the Couva Medical and Multi-Training Facility, all 22 beds were occupied, with 21 of 22 patients unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated;
  • At the Arima General Hospital, all ten beds were occupied up until Sunday and an additonal two were added with all 12 cases not being fully vaccinated;
  • At Augustus Long Hospital, nine out of the ten beds are occupied with eight out of those nine patients not fully vaccinated;
  • In the Point Fortin Hospital, four out of four beds are occupied, no patients fully vaccinated; and
  • At the St James Medical Complex, four beds allocated for ICU Covid-19 patients with no patients being fully vaccinated.

Dr Abdool-Richards said, “This morning, 96% of patients, in the ICU across Trinidad in our hospitals are not fully vaccinated.”

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She also said that in the Accident and Emergency Departments of the major hospitals in the different regional health authorities, as at 8.30am on Monday, there were 27 severely and critically ill Covid-19 patients awaiting transfer into the parallel healthcare system.

“Of those nine patients, representing 33% were in ICU level. In addition to us having reached almost maximum capacity, nine persons, nine souls are awaiting ICU care in the parallel healthcare system and are being ventilated and managed in the Accident and Emergency Department. Of those nine persons, none of the those souls is fully vaccinated.”

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Dr Abdool-Richards said that 94.2% of Covid-19 patients in the parallel healthcare system were not vaccinated.

There were 4,437 persons in the system with 4,178 who were not fully vaccinated.

For the past 101 days, the number of patients in the parallel healthcare system has been under 40% which was encouraging, the number of ICU patients was not, she said.

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She said the Ministry of Health has been actively attempting to upscale ICU accommodation by allocating resources and the number of beds have been increased by 25%.

“Over the weekend, we again increased capacity to manage the increasing demand for beds.” She added.

The Ministry of Health has been constantly informing the public that while vaccination may not prevent contraction of the Covid-19 virus, it will greatly reduce hospitalisation and death.

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Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh also said last Saturday that Trinidad and Tobago was reaching  a dangerous level with regards to hospital occupancy and the ministry was hoping to not have to triage patients as a result.

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